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Book 1 - Vairagya Prakaranam

Chapter 5 - Of rama’s self-dejection and its cause

श्रीवाल्मीकिरुवाच ।
अथोनषोडशे वर्षे वर्तमाने रघूद्वहे ।
रामानुयायिनि तथा शत्रुघ्ने लक्ष्मणेऽपि च ॥ १ ॥
Valmiki said:—Afterwards Rama attained the fifteenth year of his age, and so also Satrughna and Lakshmana who followed Rama (in birth), attained also the same age.
भरते संस्थिते नित्यं मातामहगृहे सुखम् ।
पालयत्यवनिं राज्ञि यथावदखिलाभिमाम् ॥ २ ॥
Bharata continued to dwell with joy at the house of his maternal grandfather, and the king (Dasaratha) ruled the whole earth as usual.
जन्यत्रार्थं च पुत्राणां प्रत्यहं सह मन्त्रिभिः ।
कृतमन्त्रे महाप्राज्ञे तज्ज्ञे दशरथे नृपे ॥ ३ ॥
The most wise king Dasaratha (now) consulted his ministers day after day about the marriage of his sons.
कृतायां तीर्थयात्रायां रामो निजगृहे स्थितः ।
जगामानुदिनं कार्श्यं शरदीवामलं सरः ॥ ४ ॥
But as Rama remained at home since his return from pilgrimage, he began to decay day by day as the translucent lake in autumn.
कुमारस्य विशालाक्षं पाण्डुतां मुखमाददे ।
पाकफुल्लदलं शुक्लं सालिमालमिवाम्बुजम् ॥ ५ ॥
His blooming face with its out-stretched eyes, assumed by degrees a paleness like that of the withering petals of the white lotus beset by a swarm of bees.
कपोलतलसंलीनपाणिः पद्मासनस्थितः ।
चिन्तापरवशस्तूष्णीमव्यापारो बभूव ह ॥ ६ ॥
He sat silent and motionless in the posture of his folded legs (Padmasana), and remained absorbed in thought with his palm placed under his cheek and neck.
कृशाङ्गश्चिन्तया युक्तः खेदी परमदुर्मनाः ।
नोवाच कस्यचित्किंचिल्लिपिकर्मार्पितोपमः ॥ ७ ॥
Being emaciated in person, and growing thoughtful, sad and distracted in his mind, he remained speechless as a mute picture in painting.
खेदात्परिजनेनासौ प्रार्थ्यमानः पुनः पुनः ।
चकाराह्निकमाचारं परिम्लानमुखाम्बुजः ॥ ८ ॥
On being repeatedly requested by the anxious inmates of the family to perform his daily rites, he discharged them with a melancholy countenance,
एवंगुणविशिष्टं तं रामं गुणगणाकरम् ।
आलोक्य भ्रातरावस्य तामेवाययतुर्दशाम् ॥ ९ ॥
Seeing the accomplished rama said:—the mine of merits in such a plight, all his brothers likewise were reduced to the same condition with him.
तथा तेषु तनूजेषु खेदवत्सु कृशेषु च ।
सपत्नीको महीपालश्चिन्ताविवशतां ययौ ॥ १० ॥
The king of the earth observing all his three sons thus dejected and lean, gave way to anxiety together with all his queens.
का ते पुत्र घना चिन्तेत्येवं रामं पुनः पुनः ।
अपृच्छत्स्निग्धया वाचा नैवाकथयदस्य सः ॥ ११ ॥
Dasaratha asked Rama repeatedly and in a gentle voice (to tell him) what his anxiety was, and what was the cause of his thoughtfulness; but he returned no answer to it.
न किंचित्तात मे दुःखमित्युक्त्वा पितुरङ्कगः ।
रामो राजीवपत्राक्षस्तूष्णीमेव स्म तिष्ठति ॥ १२ ॥
Then being taken up in his father’s lap, the lotus-eyed Rama replied, that he had no anxiety whatever, and held his silence.
ततो दशरथो राजा रामः किं खेदवानिति ।
अपृच्छत्सर्वकार्यज्ञं वसिष्ठं वदतां वरम् ॥ १३ ॥
Afterwards the king Dasaratha asked Vasishtha, the best of speakers and well informed in all matters, as to the cause why Rama was so sorrowful.
इत्युक्तश्चिन्तयित्वा स वसिष्ठमुनिना नृपः ।
अस्त्यत्र कारणं श्रीमन्मा राजन्दुःखमस्तु ते ॥ १४ ॥
The sage Vasishtha thought over the matter (for a while), and then said, “there is Oh king! a cause of Rama’s sadness, but you need not be anxious about it.
कोपं विषादकलनां विततं च हर्षं नाल्पेन कारणवशेन वहन्ति सन्तः ।
सर्गेण संहृतिजवेन विना जगत्यां भूतानि भूप न महान्ति विकारवन्ति ॥ १५ ॥
“Wise men Oh king! never entertain the fluctuations of anger or grief, or a lengthened delight from frivolous causes, just as the great elements of the world do not change their states (of inertness) unless it were for the sake of (some new) production.”
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